1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an escalator with a high speed inclined section in which the steps move faster in the intermediate inclined section than in the upper and lower landing sections.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11 is a side view showing a main portion of the conventional escalator with a high speed inclined section disclosed, for example, in JP 51-116586 A. In the drawing, a main frame 1 is provided with a plurality of steps 2 connected in an endless fashion and circulated. Each step 2 has a tread 3, a riser 4 formed by bending a lower-step-side end portion of the tread 3, a step link roller shaft 5 extending in the width direction of the tread 3, a pair of step link rollers 6 rotatable around the step link roller shaft 5, a trailing roller shaft 7 extending parallel to the step link roller shaft 5, and a pair of trailing rollers 8 rotatable around the trailing roller shaft 7.
The step link roller shafts 5 of the adjacent steps 2 are connected to each other by a pair of link mechanisms 9. Each link mechanism 9 is provided with an auxiliary roller 10.
The main frame 1 is provided with a pair of main tracks 11 forming a loop track for the steps 2 and guiding the step link rollers 6, a pair of trailing tracks 12 for guiding the trailing rollers 8 and controlling the attitude of the steps 2, and a pair of auxiliary tracks 13 for guiding the auxiliary rollers 10 and varying the distance between the adjacent steps 2.
In this conventional escalator with a high speed inclined section, the auxiliary roller 10 is displaced with respect to the step link roller shaft 5 according to the configuration of the auxiliary tracks 13, whereby the link mechanism 9 undergoes deformation so as to fold and stretch, varying the distance between the adjacent step link roller shafts 5. Due to this arrangement, the moving speed of the steps 2 is varied according to the position in the loop track. That is, in the upper and lower landing sections, they are run at low speed, and in the intermediate inclined section, they are run at high speed.
In the conventional escalator with a high speed inclined section constructed as described above, the riser 4 has a flat configuration, whereas the auxiliary track 13 in the speed changing region has a smooth arcuate configuration. Thus, during the process in which adjacent steps 2 undergo a change in difference in level, the end portion of the tread 3 is not displaced along a locus extending along the surface of the riser 4 of the upper adjacent step 2, and either interferes with the riser 4 or allows a gap to be generated between it and the riser 4.
This invention has been made in view of the above problem in the prior art. It is an object of this invention to provide an escalator with a high speed inclined section in which during the process in which the adjacent steps undergo a change in level difference, it is possible to prevent both interference of the tread with the riser of the adjacent step and generation of a gap between the riser and the tread.
To this end, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an escalator with a high speed inclined section, wherein when axes of adjacent step link roller shafts are in an upper speed changing section, and, assuming that relative coordinates in horizontal and vertical directions of the axes of the step link roller shafts are (XS, YS), that radius of curvature of movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft in an upper curved section is R1, and that a point vertically spaced apart by xe2x88x92R1 from a border point which is in the movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft and between an upper landing section and the upper curved section is the origin of a coordinate system, when Ys is in the following range:
xe2x88x92R1+{square root over ( )}(R12xe2x88x92XS2)xe2x89xa6Ys less than 0
a relationship between relative positions of the adjacent step link rollers in the upper speed changing section, horizontal coordinate X1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, horizontal coordinate Y1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, horizontal coordinate X2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft, and horizontal coordinate Y2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft can be expressed by the following equations:
X1=xe2x88x92Xs+{square root over ( )}(xe2x88x922R1xc2x7YSxe2x88x92YS2),
Y1=R1,
X2=X1+XS,
and
Y2=Y1+YS.
Also, a position of a link connection point is determined by the following equations:
XM=X1+L1 cos {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3},
and
YM=Y1+L1 sin {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3}
(where
xcex2=tanxe2x88x921{(Y1xe2x88x92Y2)/(X1xe2x88x92X2)};
xcex3=cosxe2x88x921{(L12xe2x88x92L22+W2)/2L1W};
W={square root over ( )}{(X1xe2x88x92X2)2+(Y1xe2x88x92Y2)2};
XM: the horizontal coordinate of the link connection point;
YM: the vertical coordinate of the link connection point;
L1: the distance from the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft to the link connection point; and
L2: the distance from the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft to the link connection point).
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an escalator with a high speed inclined section, wherein when axes of the adjacent step link roller shafts are in the upper speed changing section, and, assuming that relative coordinates in horizontal and vertical directions of the axes of the step link roller shafts are (XS, YS), that radius of curvature of movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft in the upper curved section is R1, that an inclination angle of the intermediate inclined section is xcex1m, and that a point vertically spaced apart by xe2x88x92R1 from a border point which is in the movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft and between the upper landing section and the upper curved section is the origin of a coordinate system, when Ys is in the following range:
R1 cos xcex1m{square root over ( )}{(R1 cos xcex1m)2+(2R1 sin xcex1mxc2x7XSxe2x88x92XS2)}xe2x89xa6YS less than xe2x88x92R1+{square root over ( )}(R12xe2x88x92XS2)
a relationship between relative positions of the adjacent step link rollers in the upper speed changing section, horizontal coordinate X1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, horizontal coordinate Y1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, horizontal coordinate X2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft, and horizontal coordinate Y2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft can be expressed by the following equations:
X1=[xe2x88x92p1q1+{square root over (0)}{(p1q1)2xe2x88x92(p12+1)(q12xe2x88x92R12)}]/(p12+1),
Y1={square root over ( )}(R12xe2x88x92X12),
X2=X1+XS,
and
xe2x80x83Y2=Y1+YS
(where, p1=XS/YS, and q1=(XS2+YS2 )/2YS).
Also, the position of the link connection point is determined by the following equations:
XM=X1+L1 cos {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3},
and
YM=Y1+L1 sin {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3}.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an escalator with a high speed inclined section, wherein when axes of the adjacent step link roller shafts are in the upper speed changing section, and, assuming that relative coordinates in horizontal and vertical directions of the axes of the step link roller shafts are (XS, YS), that radius of curvature of movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft in the upper curved section is R1, that an inclination angle of the intermediate inclined section is xcex1m, and that a point vertically spaced apart by xe2x88x92R1 from a border point which is in the movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft and between the upper landing section and the upper curved section is the origin of a coordinate system, when Ys is in the following range:
xe2x88x92XS tan xcex1mxe2x89xa6Ys less than R1 cos xcex1mxe2x88x92{square root over ( )}{(R1 cos xcex1m)2+(2R1 sin xcex1mxc2x7XSxe2x88x92XS2)}
a relationship between relative positions of the adjacent step link rollers in the upper speed changing section, horizontal coordinate X1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, horizontal coordinate Y1of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, horizontal coordinate X2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft, and horizontal coordinate Y2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft can be expressed by the following equations:
X1=[xe2x88x92p2sxe2x88x92{square root over ( )}{(p2s)2xe2x88x92(p22+1) (s2xe2x88x92R2)}]/(p22+1),
Y1={square root over ( )}(R12xe2x88x92X12),
X2=X1+XS,
and
Y2=Y1+YS
(where, p2=xe2x88x92tan xcex1m, q2=R1(cos xcex1m+sin xcex1mxc2x7tan xcex1m), and s=p2Xs+q2xe2x88x92YS).
Also, the position of the link connection point is determined by the following equations:
XM=X1+L1 cos {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3},
and
YM=Y1+L1 sin {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3}.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an escalator with a high speed inclined section, wherein when axes of the adjacent step link roller shafts are in the lower speed changing section, and, assuming that relative coordinates in horizontal and vertical directions of the axes of the step link roller shafts are (XS, YS), that radius of curvature of the movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft in the lower curved section is R2, and that a point vertically spaced apart by R2 from a border point which is in the movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft and between the lower landing section and the lower curved section is the origin of a coordinate system, when Ys is in the following range:
xe2x88x92R2+{square root over ( )}(R22xe2x88x92XS2)xe2x89xa6Ys less than 0
a relationship between relative positions of the adjacent step link rollers in the lower speed changing section, horizontal coordinate X1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, horizontal coordinate Y1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, the horizontal coordinate X2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft, and horizontal coordinate Y2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft can be expressed by the following equations:
X1=xe2x88x92{square root over ( )}(xe2x88x922R2xc2x7YSxe2x88x92YS2),
Y1=xe2x88x92{square root over ( )}(R22xe2x88x92X12),
X2=X1+XS,
and
Y2=Y1+YS.
Also, the position of the link connection point is determined by the following equations:
XM=X1+L1 cos {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3}),
and
YM=Y1+L1 sin {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3}.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an escalator with a high speed inclined section, wherein when axes of the adjacent step link roller shafts are in the lower speed changing section, and, assuming that relative coordinates in the horizontal and vertical directions of the axes of the step link roller shafts are (XS, YS), that radius of curvature of movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft in the lower curved section is R2, that an inclination angle of the intermediate inclined section is xcex1m, and that a point vertically spaced apart by R2 from a border point which is in the movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft and between the lower landing section and the lower curved section is the origin of a coordinate system, when Ys is in the following range:
R2 cos xcex1mxe2x88x92{square root over ( )}{(R2 cos xcex1m)2+(2R2 sin xcex1mxc2x7XsXs2)}xe2x89xa6Ys less than xe2x88x92R2+{square root over ( )}(R22xe2x88x92Xs2)
a relationship between relative positions of the adjacent step link rollers in the lower speed changing section, horizontal coordinate X1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, horizontal coordinate Y1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, the horizontal coordinate X2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft, and horizontal coordinate Y2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft can be expressed by the following equations:
X1=[xe2x88x92p3q3{square root over ( )}{(p3q3)2xe2x88x92(p32+1)(q32xe2x88x92R22)}]/(p32+1),
Y1={square root over ( )}(R22xe2x88x92X12),
X2=X1+XS,
and
Y2=Y1+YS
(where, p3=XS/YS, and q3=(XS2+YS2)/2YS).
Also, the position of the link connection point is determined by the following equations:
XM=X1+L1 cos {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3},
and
xe2x80x83YM=Y1+L1 sin {xcex2xe2x88x92}.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an escalator with a high speed inclined section, wherein when axes of the adjacent step link roller shafts are in the lower speed changing section, and, assuming that relative coordinates in horizontal and vertical directions of the axes of the step link roller shafts are (XS, YS), that radius of curvature of movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft in the lower curved section is R2, that an inclination angle of the intermediate inclined section is xcex1m, and that a point vertically spaced apart by R2 from a border point which is in the movement locus of the axis of the step link roller shaft and between the lower landing section and the lower curved section is the origin of a coordinate system, when Ys is in the following range:
xe2x88x92XS tan xcex1mxe2x89xa6Ys less than R2 cos xcex1mxe2x88x92{square root over ( )}{(R2 cos xcex1m)2+(2R2 sin xcex1mxc2x7Xsxe2x88x92Xs2)}
a relationship between relative positions of the adjacent step link rollers in the lower speed changing section, horizontal coordinate X1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, horizontal coordinate Y1 of the axis of the upper-step-side step link roller shaft, the horizontal coordinate X2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft, and horizontal coordinate Y2 of the axis of the lower-step-side step link roller shaft can be expressed by the following equations:
X1={xe2x88x92(p4q4+p4YS+XS)+{square root over ( )}A1}/(p42+1),
xe2x80x83A1=(p4q4+p4YS+XS)2xe2x88x92(p42+1){(q4+YS)2xe2x88x92R22+XS2},
Y1=p4X1+q4,
X2=X1+XS,
and
Y2=Y1+YS
(where, p4=xe2x88x92tan xcex1m, and q4=xe2x88x92R2(cos xcex1m+sin xcex1mxc2x7tan xcex1m)).
Also, the position of the link connection point is determined by the following equations:
XM=X1+L1 cos {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3},
and
YM=Y1+L1 sin {xcex2xe2x88x92xcex3}.